cod4 I've been anticipating Call of Duty 4 since it was announced and I'm happy to report that it finally was released this week. Of the tidal wave of quality releases this holiday season CoD4 was one that I knew I absolutely couldn't miss.  This was only reaffirmed after playing the multiplayer beta around a month ago, and even though the game (at that time) was rather limited I knew right off the bat that it would be a blockbuster.  If you haven't read up about Call of Duty 4's multiplayer component you now progress through ranks much like in Halo 3 and the Battlefield series.  As you go however, you unlock "perks," which are skills that you can use to make your soldier better.  One perk for example makes you more resistant to gunfire, and another increases you reload speed.  All of the perks are well-balanced and they add a completely different component to the multiplayer.  You unlock these perks not only by ranking up (imagine gaining a level in WoW) but also by completing challenges while playing.  One of the challenges I remember in the beta was to get 75 kills with a certain type of gun.  Once you get those you unlock a new add-on for the weapon, and from there you can customize your kit quite a bit.  So as you can see just from this quick run-through, CoD4 is not your everyday first person shooter from a multiplayer perspective.

From a single player point of view I'm just hoping for more of the same from the previous Call of Duty games.  I've been a huge fan of the series since the first game came out for PC in 2003.  I remember seeing ads on TV for the game and assumed it was just another Medal of Honor knock-off cashing in on the popularity of World War 2 games, but when I finally played the demo for it I was shocked at how good it was.  I immediately fell in love.  Since then there have been 2 follow up games, and all 3 up until CoD4 have all taken place during World War 2.  Now Infinity Ward, the creator of the franchise, has decided to bring Call of Duty into a modern era with their 4th game.  I'm sure that - no matter what - the game will be great since Infinity Ward is an excellent developer, but I hope they can maintain the intensity found in the previous titles.  If you haven't played a Call of Duty game the main draw is throwing the player into a war and making them feel immersed.  They do this through life-like combat scenarios, excellent sound and level design, and great characters.  If they're able to bring those elements into the fourth game I'll be happy.  And if not, I already know that the Xbox Live play will be good...so there's that.

Currently Listening To: Jedi Mind Tricks - Uncommon Valor
Currently Playing: Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero 3